Hello <$firstname$>

Some subscribers may have noticed that eBay.co.uk has given its community site a make over. The new design brings it more inline with its big brother eBay.com. I was sorry to see though that they have still not re instigated the online workshops. The last one was in February2004 and I think that eBay are missing a real opportunity in not developing this facility. If you go across to eBay.com there is a very lively workshop site and you might find it worth taking a look now and again.

A recent survey has shown that Norwich has emerged as the eBay Capital of the UK. 44% of the population of this Norfolk city Are registered eBay users. Cambridge and Reading follow with 42% and 39% respectively. Surprisingly London is near the bottom of the list with on 10% registrations. Personally I would have expected some of the Northern cities to have featured highly on the list but only Manchester (33%) and Preston (32%) make the top 10.

This month like eBay we are going to give our web site www.ukauctionline.co.uk a serious make over. We are going to be adding a great deal more content especially articles and other helpful information. The growth of activity on eBay.co.uk has been nothing short of phenomenal since we published our first newsletter and that growth has been reflected in our growing subscribers list.
To match this growth we are making even greater efforts to bring you the best and most up to date information that we can. And of course we not only monitor eBay but the other Online Auction Sites operating within the UK.

This month I have had news of an Auction Site from New Zealand that has entered the UK Market.. Andrew Metcalf who is heading up the UK operation has sent me details of the new Auction Site that seems to have one or two interesting features. Andrew has sent us details and I have included this in the further reading section this month.

Dave Bromley

By Dave Bromley

I subscribe to an American Business magazine called Fortune. One of the main reasons I subscribe is because they make offers I cannot refuse. For instance a few months ago they offered me an annual subscription for about £15 and with it can a free gift of a digital camera that I know was selling for almost £25 elsewhere.

Much of the material in the magazine is highly targeted to the US business Community but sometimes there are articles of more general interest. This month There was such an article and one that I think could help us all as we work to build up a business selling on eBay.

Fortune asked 30 of the top, most successful business people what was The “best advice they ever got”. The whole article is fascinating but One piece of advice really struck a chord with me. It came from Anne Mulcahy who is the CEO (Managing Director) of Xerox. She was given this advice by the head of a logistics company and it went a bit like this:

When everything seems very difficult and you feel overwhelmed think about the problem this way. You have got to do 3 things.

First you have got to get the cow out of the ditch.

Then you have to discover why the cow went into the ditch

And finally you have to do whatever it takes to ensure that the cow never goes into the ditch again.

So how can we apply this advice to our eBay businesses? Your cow in the ditch might be the fact that you are not selling as many items as you wished or making the level of profit that you want. We really need to get that cow out of the ditch because unless things improve you are going to get disillusioned and give up on the whole idea.

So the first thing is to try and get sales moving again. Revamp you listings check that you are selling in the right category. Look at your competition are they selling? If they are it means you have got something wrong in your listing, study what they are doing differently from you and you may discover what you are doing wrong. If they are having the same problems as you it may be that you are trying to sell something the market does not want. In this case go and browse eBay and find out what is selling well and see if you can source this type of product. Your first priority is to get your sales moving, if you are not selling, you are not making money and if you are not making money you have not got yourself a business.

Once your sales start moving in the right direction again you should know what you did differently to bring this about. This will help you answer the question why the cow went in the ditch. In other words why you were not making the sales that you wanted.

So now you have solved the immediate problem and discovered what caused it in the first place all you have to do is to make sure that you do not repeat the mistakes, i.e. ensure the cow never falls into the ditch again. If you get a chance to get hold of a copy of the issue 5 of Fortune which should be on sale in Europe until 28th March it is well worth the read.

Incidentally Meg Whitman, CEO and President of eBay said that the best advice she had received could be summed up as “Be nice, do your best…and keep everything in perspective” and I guess that is something we should all try and do.

The Ebay explosion has hit astronomical proportions. Over 11 million people did a search for Ebay last month alone on the internet. From all walks of life, everyone is drawn to Ebay.

Some people use Ebay as a hobby to make extra cash. Some people have quit their jobs and are making their living off Ebay. On a monthly basis, the phenomenon of Ebay continues to expand and grow.

Naturally, the best advice is to start selling part time on Ebay so that you can learn the tricks and secrets. It will take some time to learn the inside secrets that the top sellers know. It can be a great way to make extra cash. Ebay will take some work and is not a get rich quick scheme. However, if you take your time and do research, you could make extra income for yourself and your family. After you start to make money on a consistent basis, you might consider doing Ebay as your full time job.

For your Ebay business, all you need is internet access and a product to sell. Don’t worry! If you don’t have a product, there are plenty of companies where you can purchase items to sell. SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corp)is one company where you can purchase items at reasonable below cost prices.

SMC can be found at: http://www.smcorp.com

Many people start off selling old or odd items from their homes. Others are going to garage sales and picking up great deals and then selling these products on Ebay. You can find almost anything on Ebay. You are only restricted by your own imagination.

Here is a little tip: Other’s people junk can be your gold mine! That old Barbie doll up in the attic or in the basement could be a gold mine and bring in a huge profit. For example, it is reported that the Collectibles Category is the top selling category on Ebay. An old barbie doll, old red wagon, and old clock are only a few examples of items in the Collectibles Category.

TOP 10 SECRETS FOR SELLING ON EBAY

1. Do your research!

Make sure there is a need for the item that you are selling. Do a search for your item and see how many items are found for your keyword search. Examine each auction and see the bid amount and number of bids. Follow a number of auctions for several days and see what the final bid is. This will give you an excellent idea if there is a need for your item. It will also help you estimate the amount of profit you can make from the auction. If you don’t find your item, it might not be worth your time listing that item. Try to find an item that people truly want. After you start making money with Ebay, you can always go back and list that original product.

2. Find the right Category for your item!

If you are selling a collectible, please make sure that you list it in the collectible category. If you are listing a toy or hobby, please make sure that you list it in the Toy and Hobbies Category. This could make it easier for people to find your item. Do your homework? Search for your item and see what categories other sellers listed the same item in.

3. Keywords and descriptions are critical!

Use the appropriate keywords to describe your product. If you are selling a Barbie Doll, specify the type of doll it is: 1980 Holiday Barbie Doll. If you are selling a model train, specify the type: HO Santa Fe Caboose. Your descriptions are critical to avoid any future problems or potential returns. Honesty is the best policy. If there is a chip, crack or dent, specify this in the description. This could save you a lot of aggravation later on. If a buyer truly wants your item, a crack or chip won’t stop them from bidding on your item.

4. Always post a photo with your auction!

Auctions with photos sell much better than ones that don’t have pictures. Try to take a picture of the actual item that you are selling. Many Ebay sellers will use stock photos or photos from the internet. This is a turn off and raises a question in the buyers mind. People can tell it is not the original item and this could hurt your bids. Show the buyer that you are honest and have nothing to hide. If you put a picture of the actual item, it builds more trust between you and the buyer. In my case, I have bypassed auctions with stock photos. If you don’t have a digital camera, you can always purchase a disposable camera. When you take the camera in to be processed, tell them that you would like to have the photos placed on a CD.

5. Make the Buying process Easy! Sign up for PayPal!

You want to make your auction easy for the buyer. PayPal is becoming very popular and many buyers prefer to pay with their PayPal accounts. The easier you make your auction, the better it is. In addition, you don’t have to worry about bad checks or money orders. It is a safer payment method for both the buyer and seller.

6. List your items during "Hot Time" buying Periods!

Time your auction so that it ends during peak buying times. If you live in the Eastern Time Zone, list your auction between 9pm-11pm, Central Time Zone list between 8-10pm, Mountain Time Zone between 7-9pm, and for the Pacific Time Zone list between 6-8pm. Thus, this will give you the biggest exposure at the end of your auction. If your auction ends at 2 in the morning, there won’t be to many people placing a bid. The debate is out as to what day your auction should end on. Some sellers report that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are best. Other sellers report that Saturday and Sunday are best. Try experimenting with this to see what works best for your auctions.

7. Create an "About Me" Page on Ebay or another Free Website Page!

An "About Me" page can be critical to your success. It gives you chance to let the potential buyer know about you and your products. You can also get a free webpage from many companies in which you can promote yourself and your ebay auctions.

8. Feedback is Critical!

An ebay buyer looks at the feedback ratings. A negative feedback rating can ruin your chances of being successful. After your auction is over, please follow up with your buyer. Send them an email or call them if you have their phone number. Make sure that they are happy with their purchase. This is also important with your description. If you weren’t honest with your description, the buyer might be very disappointed and give you a negative rating. Ensure that your buyers are happy!!!

9. Excessive Postage costs can prevent bids!

Be reasonable with your shipping costs. Calculate the costs ahead of time and only charge the buyer a reasonable amount. It is not worth trying to make a couple extra dollars off the buyer because it will scare many people off. Charge the buyer the actual cost of shipping and state this in your auction so that there are no secrets. Be honest and the buyer will appreciate this.

10. Reserve Prices and Buy-it-Now can scare away potential buyers!

Buyers can be scared off by Reserve Prices and Buy-it-Now. In addition, Reserve Prices can limit your final auction price. Buy-it-Now shows that you have a certain limit to sell the product at. This is an auction! Let the buyers keep bidding at your products. If they feel they are getting a deal, they will place a bid.
You can be very successful on Ebay but you need patience and you need to do your homework.
Have fun with Ebay!

About The Author

T. Patrick is an avid ebay enthusiast and has spent time researching ebay for inside tips and tricks used by the power sellers. Patrick’s website includes: Ebay Quickie Tips, Benefits of being an Ebay Seller and Secrets for Selling on Ebay. Patrick also provides additional information on becoming a top seller on ebay. Please visit the following website for valuable information: http://www.geocities.com/ebayauction411

Oneway UK

Camilla puppet is an eBay flop

Shops turn to Ebay's virtual shelves

"How to borrow £25,000 from a stranger on the internet," By Becky Barrow, Telegraph

When I have an idle moment I quite like listening to eBay Radio. Sometimes they can get a bit carried away but it can be quite informative at times. We have a link on the home page of www.ukauctionline.co.uk and this enables you to listen to the latest recording of the program. There is also an archive of past programmes as well.

Just a quick reminder that if you have any experiences of eBay or any other of the online auctions we would really like to hear about them. As we are expanding the information section of our web site we would welcome article of interest to eBayers. Anything from basics to advanced subjects are welcome. We would publish your article either in the newsletter or on the site . These days the search engines place a lot of relevance to links into your web site. If you have your own web site you can place a link to it in your article that could improve your search engine ranking.

Talk to you again next month.

Dave Bromley